Flushing apparatus



Patented Jan. 2, 1.923.

1,440,821` ,PATENT OFFICE.

LUoIEN H. HANDY, .or oA'xLANn, cAmFoaNIA.

FLUSHING APPARATUS.

Application led January 17, 1921. Serial N. 437,702.

T 0 all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, LUCIENII. HANDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flushing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of toilet flushing-apparatus of that type which com prises a valve mechanism with a balancing fluid chamber, upon the relief of the pressure in which the outlet valve opens for the flushing operation, and gradually closes again, thereby determining the period of flush, which is ended by the restoration of the fluid pressure in the balancing chamber.

In flushing devices of this type, it is common to provide for the gradual closing of the outlet valve by readmitting the water to the pressu're chamber, through a constricted port. This necessarily involves a tendency, which experience shows to be ever present,

i to clog, due to impurities in the water, and

if and when cloggingV occurs, the balance of pressure is not restored, so'that the outlet valve remains open and there is a continual `flow and loss of water until the supply is manually shut .off and the apparatus taken apart and cleaned.

The principal object of my invention is, by a novel environment and location of the relatively small or constricted port which readmits Water to the pressure chamber, to overcome any tendency to clog said port, and thus to provide a flushing valve never liable to get out of order from this cause.

Another object of my invention, when the flushing valve is used in connection with a closed tank or enlargement of the Water supply conduits, in `which tank there is air un- -der pressure, is to avoid what may be termed an air-bound or water logged' condition in said tank.' This is due' to the gradual absorption ofthe air in the tank when the device remains out of use for a considerable time, so that there is notenough air pressure in the tank to cause the valve to function properly. Such a condition I am able to removef'by a simple and practical means of restoring the air to the tank without shutting off the water supply and taking down the apparatus to allow the water in the tank to drain out.

My present invention will better be understood by a reference to my previous Patent No. 1292313, of January 21, 1919. Inthe present' case I shall illustrate my improvements 1n connection with the general type of flushing apparatus disclosed in said patent,`though it is to be understood that said improvements are not confined to this apparatus as they are equally applicable to any flushing valve employing a constricted port leading into a pressure balancing chamber, without regard to the special inclusion of the valve member in the general flushing system. Consequently I shall also illustrate my invention in a system in which the airpressureA tank is omitted.

Referring to the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 isa sectional view partly in elevation of my flushing. apparatus as disclosed in a system employing an air-pressure tank.

Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of the same, with the air-pressure tank omitted.

1 is a shell, which at one side, near its lower portion, has an inlet 2, and at its bottom, an outlet 3. In the wall opposite that in which the inlet lies is fitted a by-pass 4, thelower end of which communicates with the outlet 3, while its upper end registerswith a passage 5 in a head 6, fitted to the top of, the shell 1, and held in registering relation by a dowel pin 7.

A cap 8 screwed to the upper end of the shell covers the head 6.

In the lower portion of the shell 1 is formedua seat 9 for the main valve 10, which controls the outlet 3 and normallycuts oil' said outlet from communication with the inlet 2. The main valve 10 has a stemy 11 which is connected with the valve by a swivel joint at 12 and said stem carries a piston 13.v

Within the bore'of the shell l is fitted av cylinder 50, which is suiciently smaller in diameter-than the shell bore to leave an annular space, indicated by 51, between the eX- terior of the cylinder and the Wall of the bore. The cylinder is centered. by a rib 52 in the top of the shell bore and is supported upon lan arcuate shoulder 53 in the shell bore below, in the vicinity of the inlet 2. The cylinder is held down by the head 6. The annular space 51, thus opens below, past the arcuate shoulder 53, into the lower portion of thehshell bore. The piston 13 of the main valve 10 operates within the lower portion of the cylinder 50, abovethe inlet 2.

To the top of the piston 13 is fitted an adj ustable screw stop 14, the function of which is to define the length of stroke of the piston, which by the displacement of the water above the piston, determines the period of flush.

In the head 6 is a port 15 with which the passage 5 of the head communicates. This port opens into the cylinder 50 and is controlled from below by a pressure relief valve 16, the stem 17 of whichpasses upwardly througha packing gland 18 and terminates in a push button head 19 exposed for opera-- tion in the top of the cap 8. The lower extremity of the relief valve stem forms a stop opposing the adjustable stop lelof the piston 13.

To eli'ect a quick return of the relief valve 16 there is provided a spring 20. Through the wall of the cylinder 50 is inadea constricted port 21 affording communication between the annular space 51 and the interior of the cylinder 50, above' the piston 13, and located with relation to entering water connections in a manner and for a purpose to be presently described. The capacity of this constricted port is predetermined by the requirement of filling the cylinder with water between the piston 13 and the pressure-relief valve 16. v

In the form shown in Fig. 1-22 is a closed flushing tank, forming an enlarged part of the pipe system. The bottom of this tank is fitted with an elbow 32 from which `leads a pipe 33 to the inlet opening 2 of the shell. The closed tank 22 is used only vin cases where the main water supply is through va relatively small pipe, such as the pipe 25, in which case the tankpipe 33.can be large enough to effect the fiushing. In Fig. 1, the ma-inwater supply pipe 25 is connected by an elbow 24 with valve supply pipe 29, the

latter being controlled by a cock 26. TheY valve supply pipe 25 communicates in full capacity through a packing Vconnection 30 with a port 31 leadino' preferably flaringly, through the wall of tlieshell 1 into vthe annular space 51.

It will be noted that the constricted port 21 in the cylinder 50 is located remotely from the port 31, and is above the direct effeet of any current in the water entering said port 31. This is for a purpose which will -presently appear.

The main valve 10 has a downwardly projecting sleeve 10 .fitting in the outlet 3 of the shell 1 and provided with large openings 10 in its wall. In the lower portion of the shell 1 is made a passage 54 which affords a second communication between the inlet 2 and the outlet 3 of the shell. This passage is controlled -by a valve 55 which is normally closed by a spring 56. The stem 57 of this valve 55 has ahead 58 by which the valve may be readily unseated by manually pulling it outwardly.

The operation of the apparatus shown .in

pipe 25. vIn such normal condition, the outlet valve 10 is closed by the balanced pressure above and below the piston 13 of said valve, and this balance is preserved by the fact that the relief valve 16 is also closed. There is also the same pressure of air compressed in the top of the closed tank 22.

Now, upon pushing d own the button 19 the relief valve 16 opens the port'15, and the balancing pressure vabove the piston 1-3 is relieved through said port, the. passage 5' in the head 6, and the by-pass 4, so that the air pressure from the tank 22, through the liushing pipe. 33, lifts the piston 13 and the valve 10 to open the outlet 3; whereupon the flushing volume of water from the tank 22 and pipe passes through-the large ports 10 been deprived of a portion of its contents,

the pressure from the inflowing water from the supply pipe 25, throughl the pipe 29, port 31,"annular space 51 and constricted port 21 into the cylinder 50 gradually forces the pisyton 13 down again and closes the main valve 10., thereby stopping the flushing flow and restoring the normal condition, the water from the supply pipe meanwhile again entering the tank 22 and compressing the 'air therein.

While, now, this is the general operation, especial attention is directed to the novel features and their purpose, which constitute my present improvements. The'first of these comprise the provision of the annular space 51 in the shell and the location of the constricted port 21 with respect to the point of entrance of the` incoming water from the pipe 29 of the main-supply 25.

The drawback to flushing devices of the balanced-valve constricted port type is the stoppage or clogging of the. small ports, the latter, in some cases being as fine as a #70 drill; and the consequent shutting ofi' of the that the constricted port 21 is remote from the entrance point of the water through pipe 29, and is relatively highup in the lannular space 51 through which said port 21 is reached. The effectl of this is not only to create a sort of whirling action or current in the entering water tending to clear away any sediment, but also to provide for the. fall or settling by gravity of the impurities in the water, away from the plane in which the constricted port 21l lies, thus preventing clogging. Moreover, the impurities thus settling through the annular space 5l collect around the seat 9 of the outlet valve 10 and are washed away by the next flushing into the bowl. The device is thus self-cleaning, and will not get out of order, as far as clog'- ging is concerned. It maybe noted also that the entering water on its way to the constricted port advances through an increasing area, thereby obviating noise.

Another improvement lies in connection with the controllable supplementary communication or passage 54 between the inlet 2 and outlet 3. This is applicable only in connection with a flushing apparatus of the form of Fig. 1, in which a closed tank,'such as 22. is employed, in order to provide for installing the apparatus in cases where relatively Small supply pipes are used. If the apparatus remains out of use for a considerable time, as for example during tlieabsencev of the householder. the air in the tank 22 is gradually absorbed by the water, and there is then insufficient pressure to lift the outlet valve 10. the decrease in the volume of flushing water. Heretofore, there has been no way to restore the air to the tank except by shutting off the water supply and taking down the valve to allow the water in the tank to drain out. This is a plumbers job and is inconvenient. By my improvement. however'` when the fiushing water seems to be growing less, all that has to be done is to shut ofi' the cock 26 in the supply pipe and then pull out-the valve by its stem-head 58. This opens the passage 54 so that air from the outlet 3 passes into the inlet 2 and up into the tank 22. As the air enters, the water from the tank drains out by the same route. When the tank is empty, the valve 55 is released and returns to its seat.

Referring now to Eig. 2, I show my improved device as installed in buildings having a large supply pipe, either direct from the main or from an ordinary storage tank on the roof. In this Eig. 2, like numerals are used as in Fig. 1. and it will be seen that the closed tank 22 and the small supply pipe 25 with its connections, of Fig. 1. are omitted. Also the tank relief valve 55 of Fig. l is omitted. In Fig. 2 there is only the entering large flushing, pipe 33, and a portion of the water from this pipe, rises in the annular space 51. to the constricted port 21q with the same self-cleansing effect heretofore described.

I claim:-

1.- A fiushing apparatus comprising a shell having an inlet and an outlet communicating with said inlet; a cylinder within the shellA Such a condition is indicated by communicates with tlie interior of the cylin-v der; a, supply pipe communicating with the shell interior; a main-valve within the shell controlling the communication between the shell inlet and outlet; a piston connected with and operating Said main valve, said piston being fitted in the cylinder and exposed below to the Huid pressure from the inlet; a by-pass leading from the interior of the cylinder above thepiston to the shell outlet below the main valvegand a relief valve controlling` the communication of the by-pass with the interior of the cylinder.

. 2. A flushing apparatus comprising a shell having an inlet and an outlet communicating with said inlet; a cylinder within the shell so disposed as to leave a circumferential space between its outer surface and the inner surface of the shell wall, said space being closed at one end and at the other end Open to the shell interior, and said cylinder having in its wall. a relatively small port through which the circumferential space communicates with the interior of the cylinder; a main-supply pipe leading into said circumferential space at a` point out of register with the small port; a main-valve within the shell controlling the communication between the shell inlet and outlet; a piston connected with and operating said main valve, said piston being `fitted in the cylinder andl exposed below to the fluid pressure from the inlet; a by-pass leading from the interior of the cylinder above the piston to the shell outlet below the main valve; a relief valve controlling the communication of the by pass with the interior of the cylinder; a closed flushing tank; and a flushing pipe leading from the tank to the inlet of the shell. l

3. A flushing apparatus comprising a shell having an inlet and an outlet communicating with said inlet; a cylinder within the shell so disposed as to leave a circumferential space between its outer surface and the inner surface of the shell wall,A said space being closed at one end and at the other end open to the shell interior, and said cylinder having in its wall a relatively small port through which the circumferential space communicates with the interior of the cylinder; a main-supply pipe leading into said circumferential space at a point out 0f register with the small port; a main-valve within the shell controlling the communication between the shell inlet and outlet; a piston connected with and operating said main'valve, said piston being fitted in the cylinder and exposed below to the lfluid pressure from the from the tank to the inlet of the shell; and inlet 4;y alby-pass leading from the interior of a valve 'controlling a supplementary pasege the cylinder above the piston to the shell between the shell inlet and outlet for drain- 10 outlet below the .main Valve; a relief `Val-ve ing the closed flushing tank at will. controlling the communication of the by- In testimony whereof I have signed my pass with the interior of the cylinder; a' name to this specification.

closed ushing tank; a flushing pipe leading LUCIEN H. HANDY. 

